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We all know that New Year is a time of celebration, a time to join with family and friends to say goodbye to the problems of the past and welcome the fortunes that the future holds. But have you ever wondered why January 1 marks the beginning of the year? Have you ever thought about why we celebrate in the way that we do?

New Years Traditions and Superstitions

There are a number of superstitious traditions that began many years ago that have lost their meaning in present day. Typically these traditions were enacted to influence the luck one would have in the coming year. For example, the New Years Eve parties that we all know and love began due to the belief that what one did on the first day of the year could affect their luck. This is why parties go past midnight and into the new year and it also explains why they involve lots of family and friends.

When the clock strikes midnight it’s common for us to hug our loved ones and make lots of noise to celebrate the beginning of a new year. While most of us just do this without really thinking about it, there is a superstitious reason behind this. Traditionally, people hugged each other to ensure that the relationship lasted for the rest of the year and they made a lot of noise as they believed it would scare the evil spirits away.

History of New Years Day

The origins of New Years celebrations date back thousands of years. In around 2000BC the Babylonians celebrated the new year over an 11-day period. This period did not begin on January 1 as we would expect, it actually started with the first new moon after the first day of spring (also known as the Vernal Equinox).

It was not until 153BC that January was declared as the beginning of the year by the Romans. The month was named after Janus the mythical god of beginnings. The calendar year became much more like that used in present day in 46BC when Julius Caesar established the Julian Calendar. After consultation with an astronomer he matched the calendar year with the movement of the sun and marked January 1 as the start of the new year.

New Years Resolutions

The popular tradition of making new years resolutions also has origins in Ancient Babylon and Rome. The Babylonians would typically return farm equipment that they had borrowed during the year, while in Caesar’s time Janus became the symbol for resolutions because he had two faces that could look to the past and into the future.

Today we make New Years Resolutions to try to improve some aspect of ourselves in the coming year. Popular resolutions include quitting smoking, losing weight and getting out of debt. This sounds good but the sad truth is that most of us break them well before the year is out. In fact, a recent study found that 22% of people give up on their resolution in the first week and by the end of March more than half of New Years resolvers have fallen of the bandwagon.

So what can we do to make sure we achieve our new years resolutions? To be honest I really don’t know, but I can give you a great head start. Quit smoking, quit alchohol, get in shape, improve your finances, learn something new or just enjoy life more then all.

 

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Linux GUI utilities provide an easy “point-and-click” method of doing Linux administration tasks, but they are time-consuming and awkward to use. You can run a simple Linux command to do the equivalent task in a fraction of the time it would take to use a Linux GUI utility.

When you get Linux training, be sure that it is focused on how to use Linux commands. Also, if you are interested in getting Linux certification, you need to know how to use Linux commands to be able to pass, not Linux GUI utilities.

Linux Tips – How to Use Linux “Patterns” (Linux Wildcard characters)

Some Linux documentation uses the term “pattern” to refer to Linux wildcard characters.

Wildcard characters are used in a “pattern” to cause a Linux command to work on multiple items, such as multiple directories and files in the Linux file system.

The two Linux wildcard characters are the * (asterisk) and ? (question mark).

Using an * (asterisk) with a Linux Command

An * (asterisk) is used in a pattern to represent “all” characters of an item (directory or file).

The Linux command below shows an example of the using the cp (copy) command to copy all (because of the * without any other letters or numbers) files in the current directory into the directory named memos.

]# cp * memos

Linux Tips: Keep in mind that Linux commands are “case sensitive”. Always type the letters in upper or lower case, as shown.

Linux Tips: Also, be sure to use spaces where they are shown. For example, in the Linux command above, you need a space (just a single space) between cp and the * and you need a single space between the * and memos.

The * (Linux wildcard character) can be combined with one or more letters at the front of it or after it.

The following Linux command is an example of the using the cp (copy) command to copy all files in the current directory beginning with the letter r into the directory named memos.

]# cp r* reports

The Linux command below copies all files ending in “sxw” into the directory named weekly.

]# cp *.sxw weekly

The next Linux command copies all files containing “mem” (anywhere in the file name) into the directory named monthly.

]# cp *mem* monthly

Using a ? (question mark) with a Linux Command

The ? (question mark) is used in a pattern to represent a single character.

The Linux command below shows an example of the using the mv (move) command to move files that have a single character and end in “cfg” into the directory named june.

]# mv ?.cfg june

The following Linux command moves all files beginning with “month”, and having two characters after “month”, and ending in “sxw”, into the folder named years.

]# mv month??.sxw years

To learn how to use Linux commands the easy way, you can watch Linux video tutorials. When you work with Linux videos, you can actually see Linux commands being run and hear a detailed description of why you need to run a certain Linux command.

Another benefit is that you can also see the output of the Linux command and hear a description of what the output means.

After seeing how to use Linux commands, you can run them yourself – to get practical Linux training.

 

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Deodorant may be designed to stop odors, but the sight of it can be less than pleasant. Here’s how you can get rid of those embarrassing deodorant stains

Remove Deodorant Stains From:
Acetate, Burlap, Carpet/Synthetic, Carpet/Wool, Cotton, Fiberglass, Linen, Rayon, Silk, Triacetate, Wool

Apply rubbing alcohol to the stain and cover with an absorbent pad dampened with alcohol (dilute alcohol with 2 parts water for acetate, Rayon, and triacetate; test silk for colorfastness before using alcohol). Keep both moist. Allow to stand as long as any stain is being removed. If the stain remains (and as a last resort), flush (the method of applying stain remover to loosen staining materials and residue from stain removers) with a solution of warm sudsy water with a little ammonia added (use special care on silk and wool). Rinse with clear water. Apply a solution of warm water with a little white vinegar added, taking special care with this solution on cotton and linen.

Rinse again with clear water. Dry thoroughly. (If the color of the fabric has been changed, it may possibly be restored by sponging (the method of using light strokes with a dampened pad working outward from the center of the stain) lightly with a solution of 2 parts water and 1 part ammonia.) Caution: Never iron material with a deodorant stain. The combination of chemical and heat interaction will ruin most fabrics.

Remove Deodorant Stains From:
Acrylic Fabric, Modacrylic, Nylon, Olefin, Polyester, Spandex

Most deodorant stains can be removed by pretreating (the method of applying a stain-removing agent directly to the stained area before laundering) with a liquid detergent or prespotter such as Shout Liquid Laundry Stain Remover and launder as usual. If the stain doesnt seem to be loosening with the pretreatment, rinse out the detergent and flush with white vinegar. Rinse in clear water. If the stain remains, flush the area with denatured alcohol. Rinse with clear water and dry or launder as usual.

Remove Deodorant Stains From:
Acrylic Plastic, Aluminum, Asphalt, Bamboo, Brass, Bronze, Cane, Ceramic, Glass/Tile, Chromium, Cork, Enamel, Glass, Gold, Grout, lron, Linoleum, Marble, Masonry Tile, Paint/Flat, Paint/Gloss, Plexiglas, Polyurethane, Stainless Steel, Tin, Vinyl Clothing, Vinyl Tile, Vinyl Wallcovering

Wipe the area with a cloth dipped in warm sudsy water. Rinse well and wipe dry with a clean cloth.

Remove Deodorant Stains From:
Leather, Suede

Mix a solution of mild soap in lukewarm water. Swish to create a great volume of suds. Apply only the foam with a sponge. Wipe dry with a clean cloth. On leather only, follow with Tannery Vintage Leather Cleaner & Conditioner or Fiebing’s Saddle Soap to condition the leather.

Remove Deodorant Stains From:
Wallpaper

Carefully wipe the wallpaper with a sponge dampened with clear warm water. Do this immediately after staining the wallpaper, as deodorants can permanently stain the paper. Strokes should be overlapped to prevent streaking. Gently pat dry with a clean cloth.

Remove Deodorant Stains From:
Wood

Wipe spills or deodorant-sprayed area as soon as possible with a sponge or soft cloth dipped in mild sudsy water. Wipe dry and apply wax or polish as needed.

 

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